Transitioning a myopic national security mindset to a holistic perspective through visionary leadership.
“The sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the country is sacrosanct and no leadership should pay lip service to it”
NATIONAL SECURITY
The security of our nation rests on all of us – both the citizenry and residents alike. Notwithstanding, the brunt of the nation’s security obligations lies squarely on the hands of those who have been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the nation. Institutions such as the Police (GPF – General Duties & the PIU), Immigration (GID), SIS, GPS, the Army (GNA, GAF, RNG), and the Navy are responsible for maintaining the internal and territorial integrity of the nation. As a country, one of the primary responsibilities of the state is to ensure that the security and territorial integrity of the nation are manned and administered by institutions that are professional, reputable, patriotic, equipped, and with the requisite capacity and competence.
Like all state institutions, governance is at the core of any effective and well-functioning national security apparatus and the Police, Immigration, Intelligence Services, Prisons, Army, and Navy are no exceptions.
Since the ushering-in of the administration of the current regime, a number of initiatives have been supported by the international community for the country to create and nurture a national security apparatus that would facilitate the realization of a safe, secure, resilient, open, and cohesive society and consequently a competitive economy. However, this realization has been a distant reality despite the existence of a National Security Policy, Security Sector Reform Strategy, and a National Security Strategy.
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
The economic development, prosperity, and territorial integrity of The Gambia cannot obtain under a governance structure in which the Security Apparatus are not apolitical. The degree and audacity of corruption, impunity, unaccountability, and the glaring level of incompetence is a testimony to the wanting level of governance of the country. This unfortunate and untenable circumstance must change and the time is now and as a Party we will stamp it out.
The National Security and Territorial Integrity of the country extends beyond the internal security apparatus and should take into perspective poignant parameters of national, sub-regional, regional, and international interests. As such, competence, professionalism, internal governance, intelligence, diplomacy, geopolitics, and multilateralism should be parameters of keen interest.
These parameters of interest are influenced and shaped by economy, politics, society, environment, energy, and natural resources; the very underpinnings of National Security. If the National Security and Territorial Integrity of The Gambia should change for the better, then we must revisit its underpinnings under a leadership and governance framework that seeks to institutionalize the requisite parameters of interests.
Necessarily therefore, the various security challenges of insufficiencies in Food, Housing, and Medicare and the challenges of State Capture, and Environmental degradation must be all earmarked for gradual redress.
Equally, the pressing border-challenges and the opportunities that lurk-in must be leveraged for the envisaged transformation of The Gambia.